a gold butter dish were missing, also some wine and whiskey put down in
the cellar by Duncan Lyon and which the family of Noah had never
touched.

"I do not mind the liquor, but I do mind the loss of my mother's
spoons," said Mrs. Noah. "However, I am glad matters are no worse."

"I was afraid they would break open father's safe," said Deck, referring
to the strong box in the library, in which the colonel was wont to keep
his cash and his private papers. "I was much relieved to see it still
locked up."

While Deck had been speaking Levi came in, and now he turned to Mrs.
Lyon. "That safe--I left it open for you," he cried hurriedly. "Did
you--"

"I left it open," gasped Mrs. Lyon, falling back in her chair. "I forgot
all about it until just now--the guerillas scared me so when they
marched in. If they--"

"The safe is shut--but still--" began Deck, and arising hastily he
hurried to the library, with Levi, Artie, and the women folks at his
heels. The door refused to budge and Levi worked the combination, a new
device Noah Lyon had had put on the door just before leaving home for
the seat of war.

When the strong box came open a mass of private papers and account-books
fell out upon the carpeted floor, and it was easy to surmise that the
guerillas had looted the safe of all that could be made valuable to
them. Levi declared three hundred dollars in gold gone, also two hundred
in United States paper money, besides a small box of jewellery, the most
valuable articles in which had been a diamond ring and a diamond stud
Duncan Lyon had worn during his life, and of which no disposition had
ever been made.

"We are five hundred dollars out by this raid," said Artie, while Mrs.
Lyon shook her head sadly. "We had better question the prisoners about
this."

He went off to do so, accompanied by Levi. While they were gone Deck
proceeded to arrange the scattered books and papers and restore them to
their original resting places.

"Hullo!" he ejaculated, as he picked up an empty envelope. It was
marked! "Not to be opened till five years from the date of my death.
Duncan Lyon."

"The secret envelope uncle left to father!" cried out Hope. "Oh, Deck,
where are the contents?"

"That is what I should like to know," responded her brother, kneeling
down with a hand lamp, the better to see. A large batch of papers were
sorted with great care, but nothing which might have belonged in the
envelope was unearthed.

"This is wor